Semaphore-signal mechanism.



G. REKERS.

SEMAPHORE SIGNAL MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 20. l9l6.

Patented Mar. 18, 1919.

INVENTOR j BY W ATTORNEY nxurEn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GERRET REKERs', OF ROCHESTER, n' w YoRn, ASSIGNOR, TO GENERAL RAILWAY sterner. COMPANY, OF GATES, NEW YoRK, 'A CORPORATION OF NEW YoRK.

SEMAPHORE-SIGNAL MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters P tent. Patented Mar. 18, 1 919.

Continuation in part of application serialNo. 762,570, filed Apri121, 1913. This application filed July 20, 1916. Serial No. 110,313. 7 e

To all whom itmay concern:

'Be it known that I, GERRET REKERs, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and StateofNew York, haveinvented a new and useful Semaphore-Signal Mechanism, of ,whichthe following is a specification. I I

This invention relates to that "class of devices which; are employed in railway signaling and which are ordinarily termed semaphore operating mechanisms.

This application is a continuation of my prior application Serial No. 762,570 filed April 21, 1913, which has. matured into PatentNo. 1,272,099, July 9, 1918.

The primary object of this invention is to design and construct a mechanism for operating a semaphore, such that the semaphore will be moved from. a biased to an operated position by the operation of any well known form of rotary notor, and in which the motor will act to bring the semaphore to arestwithout objectionable shock or jar in a biased position when the semaphore moves from anoperated position to said biased position in'response to its bias. 7

Other objects and advantages will appear as the description of I the invention progresses, and the novel features of the nvention will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims. 7 I

In describing the inventionindetail, reference is had to the accompanying drawing, whereinl haveillustrated a preferred physicalembodiment of my invention, and Wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which: x

Figure 1 is a partlydiagrammatic view showing the parts of a semaphore operating mechanism embodying, the invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section through the circuit controller shown in Fig. 1, said section being taken on the? line 22 in Fig. 1 and looking in the direction indicated by the arrow (4, and shows the slip contact in the positionitassumes when the semaphore is moving toward an operated position;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section similar to Fig. 2 and shows the position of the slip contact whenjthe semaphore 1s moving from an operated, position toward a biased position; Fig. -l is an enlarged detailview showing particularly the slip cont-act; and Fig. 5 1s a diagrammatieview of the parts of the semaphore operating mechanism andfshows an arrangement of operating circuits suitoperatlng mechanism which is formed with an opening at its rear end which may be closed by a hinged cover 2. Within the main casing 1 there is supported a motor casing 3 which is also provided with a cover 4:, and in which is supported an electric motor of suitable construction for operating the semaphore, the motor shown being of the direct current type having field coils 5, an

armature 6, a commutator 7 and brushes .8. 1

The armature shaft 9 oftheoperating motor is provided with suitable electrically controlled means, commonly termed a hold clear device, which serves 'to hold said armature shaft against movement in one direction so as to retain the semaphore in an o erated position. illustrated in Fig. 1 is of the type shown and described in the patent to W. K. Howe, 985,677, Feb. 28,1911, and in general comprises aratchet wheel 10, an arm ll-carrying a detent adapted to cooperate with said ratchet wheel, and an electro-magnet 12 for moving said arm 11 into position to produce cooperation of the detentcarried by. said arm with said ratchet wheel, the arm 11 being returned to its normal position when the electro-magnet 12 is denergized' by means of the weight of the movable core of the electro-magnet 12, all as shown and de-.

ion 17 which meshes with a gear 18 jour-,,

naledon a shaft 19 secured in the main casing 1; and also journaled on the shaft 19 The hold clear device i a pinion 20 which is connected to the gear 18, preferably by means of a ratchet-andpawl mechanism (not shown) as shown and described in the Patent 1,056,992, above mentioned, the pinion 20 being in mesh with a segmental gear 21 fixed to the semaphore shaft 16.

In the main casing 1 of the semaphore operating mechanism and disposed above the motor casing 3 is a circuit controller, designated generally by the reference character K, which comprises a supporting plate 47 which is fastened to the main casing 1 by bolts 46, (see Fig. 1) and from which project arms 48 and 49 connected at their outer ends by means of a web or cross brace 50 and at their inner ends by means of the plate 47. The arms 48 and 49 support blocks 51 of insulating material which support adjustable contact fingers 52 by means of binding posts 58. A shaft 22 extends through the supporting plate 47 and the cross brace 50, and fixed to the shaft 22 is a segmental gear 23 which meshes with a similar segmental gear 24 fastened to the semaphore shaft 16. Between the supporting plate 47 and the cross brace 50 is disposed a drum 54 of insulating material rigidly attached to the shaft 22 by means of a screw 55. The drum of insulating material 54 carries metallic strips 106 which are positioned so as to lie in the path of the contact fingers 52. In the accompanying drawing all of the contact fingers 52 have been shown on one side of the circuit controller K for convenience, but it is to be understood that some of these contact fingers may be and preferably are on the opposite side of the circuit controller.

The circuit controller K above described is substantially identical with that shown and described in the application of lVilliam S. Henry Serial No. 742,800, filed Jan. 18, 1913, but has, however, one feature not shown in the above mentioned application, which is known as a slip contact and which consists of a spring arm 56 which is attached to the lower insulating block 51 in the same manner as the contact fingers 52 are attached and which bears at the outer end a cupshaped member 57 in which one end of a pin 58 is loosely positioned. The other end of the pin 58 is loosely positioned in a cavity formed in a member The member 59 is formed with an arc-shaped face which bears against the insulating drum 54, a shallow circumferential groove being preferably formed in said insulating drum to guide the member 59. The rotation of the drum 54 in the direction of the arrow P, Fig. 3, causes a downward movement of the member 59 into the position shown in Fig. 2; but a movement of the insulating drum 54 in a direction opposite to the arrow P causes the member 59 to move upwardly and to contact with a contactfinger, as 7 6, positioned in line with it and supported by the upper insulating block 51, as shown in Fig. 3.

In Fig. 5 I have shown schematically the circuit controller K, the electro-magnet 12 for operating the hold clear device, the operating motor and the gearing connecting the armature of said motor with the semaphore 60, together with an arrangement of operating circuits suitable for controlling the operation of the semaphore according to this invention.

Referring to Fig. 5, 62 designates a source of current; 68 a switch arm which may be moved from the position shown in full lines to the dotted line position; and 64, another switch arm which may be moved from the full line position to the dotted line position.

The parts are shown in Fig. 5 in the positions which they assume after the semaphore has been operated to its vertical or 90 operated position, and with the parts in this position shown in Fig. 5, current will flow as follows: positive terminal of the battery 62, wire65. switch arm 63, wires 66 and 67, switch arm 64, wires 68 and 69 to the contact .finger 70, metallic strip 71, (contact finger 72, wires 7 3 and 74, to the coil of the electro-magnet 12, and then from said electro-magnet along wire 107 to wire 75, and back to the negative terminal of the battery 62. Current flowing in the above traced path will energize the electro-magnet 12 and will operate the hold clear device so as to hold the semaphore 60 in its operated position.

If the switch arm 64 is moved to the dotted line position, the flow of current through the electro-magnet 12 will be interrupted, and the holdclear device being released, the semaphore 60 in response to its bias will rotate clockwise, as viewed in Fig. 5, toward its diagonal or caution position. This clockwise rotation of the semaphore 60 and the semaphore shaft 16 will cause a counterclockwise rotation of the drum 54 by means of the segmental gears 23 and 24, and will cause the member 59 of the slip contact to contact with the contact finger 76, so that when the drum 54 has beenrotated sufficiently for the strip 77 to make contact between the contact fingers 7 8 and 79, a circuit will be formed in which current flows as follows: positive terminal of the battery 62, wire 65, switch arm 63, wires 66 and 80, contact finger 78, strip 77, contact finger 79, wires 81 and 82, contact finger 76, member 59, contact finger 83, wires 84 and 85, through the armature and field coils of the operating motor and wires 108 and 75 back to the negative terminal of the battery 62. Current flowing in the above traced path would cause an energization of the operating motor so that it would tend to move the semaphore 60 toward its operated position,

but the action'is merely momentary because the strip" 7 7 is so adjusted in its position on the drum 54 that it makes contact between strip 78 and 7 9 just before the semaphore 60 reaches the diagonal or caution position and breaks contact with the strip 79 immediately thereafter, so that the effect is merely that of a dash pot to bring the semaphore 60 to rest at the caution position; i I fVVhen the semaphore 60 reaches the cautioneposition a circuit isformed in which current flows as follows: positive terminal of the battery 62, wire 65, switch arm 63, wires 66, 86 and 92, contact finger 93, strip 94 caused to bridge contact fingers 93 and 95 by the counterclockwiserotation of the drum 54 caused by the fall of the semaphore 60, contact finger 95, wires 96 and 74, winding of the electromagnet 12 and wires 107 and back to the negative terminal of the battery 62. Current flowing in the above traced path will energize the electro-magnet 12 operating the hold clear device, so that the semaphore 60 will beheld in the caution position.

If the switch arm 63 is moved to the dotted line position, the circuit through which current flows to holdthe semaphore 60 in the caution position will be broken, and consequently, the semaphore by reason of its bias will move to the horizontal or danger position and in so doing will again rotate the drum 5% counterclockwise, causing the member 59 of the slip contact to contact with the contact finger 76, if it is not already in contact therewith. and thus forming an electrical dash potclrcuit in which current flows as follows: positive terminal of the I battery 62, wire 65, switch arm 63 in the dotted line position, ,wire 97. contact finger 98, metallic strip 99, contact finger 100, wires 101, and 82, contact finger 76,- member 59, contact finger 83, wires 84 and 85 through the armature and field coils of the operating motor and wires 108 and 7 5 back to the neg tiveterminal of the battery 62. The metallic strip 99 would only make momentary connection between the contact fingers '98 and 100, and when the semaphore 60 has arrived at its full biased horizontal position,'will have broken contact between the two fingers 98 and 1.00, so that the effect will be merely that of a dash pot acting temporarily to restrain a too violent motion, of the semaphore 60 to the biased position.

The return of the semaphore 60 to the horizontal position will cause the metallic strip 89 to bridge the contact fingers 88 and 90sothat, if the switch arm 63 were again moved *to the full line position, current would flow in the following path: positive terminal of the battery 62. wire 65, switch. arm 63, wires 66, 86 and 87, contact finger 8S, metallicstrip 89, contact finger 90, wires 91 and- 85 through the armature and field coils ofthe operating motor rand wires 108,

and 75' back to the negative terminal of the battery 62. Current flowing in the above traced path will cause the armature of the operating motor to rotate in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 5,-to move the semaphore 60 to the cautlon position, at

which position the metallic strip 89 will have moved from contact with the contact finger 88 thus breaking the operating circuit justtrac'ed, but at the same time, the contact I strip 94 will have moved so as to bridge the contact fingers 93 and'95 so that the holding circuit for the caution position of the semaphore as heretofore traced will be formed.

If after the semaphore 60 has arrived in the caution position, the switcharm 64; is moved to the full line position and the switch arm 63 is still in the full line position, then as the metallic strip 61 movesso as to bridge contact fingers 102 and 103 by v the movement of the semaphore to the caution position, current will flow in a path which may be traced as follows: positive terminal of the battery 62, wire 65, switch arm 63, wires 66 and 67, switch arm 68 and 104, contact finger 102, metallic strip 61, contact finger 103, wires 105 and 85' through the armature and field coils of the operating motor, and wires 108 and 75 back to the negative terminal of the battery 62.

Current flowing in the above, traced path will cause the semaphore 60 to be moved to' there is provided according to this inven tion a semaphore operating mechanism in which the semaphore blade is brought to rest without shock or jar in either of its biased positions by the action of the operating I110- tor whenever the semaphore blade moves from an operated position to a biased position. While the means employed according to this invention for regulating the move ment of a semaphore from an operated position to a biased position may beused in connection with any type of semaphore operating mechanism, whether operated by a direct currentmotor or by an alternating current motor. this means is especially applicable to the type of semaphore operating 1 mechanism shown and described in my copending application Serial No. 110,312 filed July 20th, 1916, since in the semaphore operating mechanism described in said app1ication the arc of movement of the armature of the motor when the semaphore moves from its vertical to the horizontal position is r the same as the arc of movement of the 64, wires 7 semaphore, namely, only 90, and this small movement of the armature of the motor would not be sufficient to generate sufficient current to effectually retard the movement ofthe semaphore toward its horizontal position by shortcircuiting the operating mo tor according to the method heretofore employed.

Although I have particularly described the construction of one physical embodiment of my invention, and explained the operation and principle thereof; nevertheless, I desire to have it understood that the form selected is merely illustrative, but does not exhaust the possible physical embodiments of the idea of means underlying my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In combination, a signal biased to one position of indication, a motor operatively connected at all times with the signal to move the latter to another position and to move with the signal while the latter is returning in response to its bias, and means for energizing the motor to retard the signal during a portion of said return movement.

2. In combination, a signal biased to danger position, a motor operatively connected at all times with the signal to move it to caution and clear positions and to move with the signal while the latter is returning in response to its bias, and means for energizing said motor to retard the signal while returning from its clear to its caution position.

3. In combination, a signal biased to danger position of indication, motor operatively connected with the signal to move it to caution and clear positions and to move with the signal while the latter is returning toward its biased position, means for holding the signal in the caution and clear positions, and means for energizing the motor to retard the signal while returning from the clear position toward the caution position in response to its bias, and for deenergizing the motor after the signal has reached the caution position, and for then energizing the said holding means.

4. In a semaphore operating mechanism, in combination: a semaphore; oscillatable circuit controlling means connected to the semaphore; a member cooperating with said means and adapted to be moved by friction; and other circuit controlling means arranged to be engaged by said member when it is moved in one direction.

5. In combination, a signal biased to danger position of indication, an electric motor operatively connected with the signal to move it to caution and clear positions and to move with the signal while the latter is returning toward its danger position, a

eaner/o source of operating current for the motor,

said circuit, frictional means interposed between the signal and said circuit controller tending to open said circuit controller while the signal is moving away from its biased position and to close the circuit controller while the signal is moving toward its biased position, and a second circuit controller operated by the signal for the control of said circuit, said second circuit controller being closed only during a portion of the movement of the signal between its clear and caution positions.

6. In a signal operating mechanism, in combination: a pivoted arm having a set position and a biased position; an electric motor operatively connected to said arm for moving said arm to its set position; circuit and circuit controlling devices for controlling the movements of said arm; a circuit controller governed by the movement of said arm and selectively responsive to the direction of movement thereof, said circuit controller being closed when said arm moves to its biased position and being opened when said arm moves to its set position; another circuit controller governed by said arm and closed during a portion of the movement of said arm near its biased position; and a snubbing circuit for said motor including in series said circuit controllers.

7. In. a signal operating mechanism, in combination: a pivoted arm having a biased position and two operated positions; an electric motor operatively connected to said arm for moving said arm to its operated positions; circuit and circuit controlling devices for controlling the movements of said arm; a circuit controller governed by the movement of said arm and selectively responsive to the direction of movement thereof, said circuit controller being closed when said arm moves toward its biased position and being opened when said arm moves toward its operated positions; two other circuit controllers governed by said arm, one being closed during a portion of the movement thereof near its biased position, and the other near its intermediate operated position; and snubbing circuits for said motor each including in series said first-mentioned circuit controller and one of said other circuit controllers.

8. In a signal operating mechanism, in combination: a pivoted arm having a set position and a biased position; an electric motor operatively connected to said arm for moving said arm to its set position; circuit and circuit controlling devices for controlling the movement of said arm, a circuit controller governed by said arm and movement thereof; 'said circuit controller being closed when, said arm moves toward its biased position and being opened when said arm moves toward its set position; in other circuit controller governed bysaid arm and closed during a portion of the movement thereof near its biased position; a snubbingcirc'ult for said motor includlng in series sald c1rcu1t controllers; electromagnetic means for holding said arm in its set position; a third circuit controller governed by said arm and closed when said arm is in its set position; and a controlling circuit for said electromagnetic means including said third circuit controller.

9. In an electric signal mechanism, in combination: an oscillatable arm having a set position and a normal biased position; an electric motor; means connecting the electric motorwith the arm, whereby the operation of the motor causes a set position of said arm and the oscillation of the arm due to its bias causes an operation of the motor; a

drum connected to and operable in unison with the arm; a member formed with a curved face bearing against the periphery of the drum; means for supporting said member in frictional contact with the drum and for allowing said member to be moved a limited extent in opposite directions by the movement of the drum; a fixed member arranged in the. path of movement of said member and adapted to form electrical contact therewith which is closed during the return movement of said arm in response to its bias, but is opened during the movement of said drum caused by said motor; a circuit controller governed by said arm and closed during a portion of the movement of said arm near its biased position; and a snubbing circuit for said motor including in series said first-mentioned member, said fixed memberand said circuit controller.

10. In an electric signal mechanism, in combination; an oscillatable drum connected to the semaphore; a member cooperating with the drum and adapted to be moved by friction; and a fixed contact arranged to be engaged by said member when it 'is moved in one direction.

11. A semaphore signal operating mechanism, comprising a semaphore; anoscillatable drum operatively connected to said semaphore; a slip contact member having a curved face shaped to bear against the surface of said drum; a spring arm fixed at one end; means loosely connecting said spring arm and said slip contact member and permit'ting a slight movement of said slip contact member with reference to said spring arm; and a contact finger disposed in the path of movement of said slip contact finger.

12. In a semaphore signal operating mechanism, in combination: a semaphore; an oscillatable drum operativelyconnectedto said semaphore; a friction member having one face thereof shaped to bear against the surface of said drum and having a cavity formed inits opposite face;a spring arm fixed at one end and carrying at: its other end a member-having a cavity therein; a pin loosely supported in said cavities and limiting the movement of'said' friction member relative to said spring arm; and an adjustable contact finger disposed in the path of movement of said friction member.

13. In a semaphore signal operating mechanism comprising a semaphore and an operating motor connected thereto to move with the semaphore when it is moving toward its biased position, in combination with a snubbing circuit for the motor, a circuit controlling means, included in said circuit, and means including a frictional device for operating said circuit controlling means when the semaphore moves toward a biased position.

14. In a semaphore signal operating mechanism in combination: a semaphore; an electric motor operatively connected with said semaphore to move it to an operated position and to move with the semaphore while the latter is returning in response to its bias; circuit controlling means governed by the movements of said semaphore; frictional means interposed between said semaphore and said circuit controlling means; and two circuits in parallel through the motor, each of said circuits being governed by said circuit controlling means, one for energiz ing the motor to move the semaphore in one direction to an operated position and the other of said circuits, including in series said 7 frictional means, for energizing the motor to retard the movement of said semaphore when it moves from an operated position in response to its bias.

15. In an electric signal mechanism, in combination: a semaphore; .an oscillatable drum operatively connected to the semaphore; a member having a curved face shaped to bear against the periphery of said drum and adapted to be moved by friction; a resilient support for said member; means loosely connecting said member to its support and for limiting the movement of said member in either direction; and a fixed contact arranged to be engaged by said member when it is moved in one direction.

16. In combination, a signal biased to one position of indication and capable of being moved against its bias to another position of indication, means for retarding the signal during its movement toward its biased position, a circuit for controlling said means, a circuit controller for controlling said circuit, and frictional means interposed between the signal and the circuit controller for closing the latter While the signal is moving toward its biased position and for opening the cirand adapted to be moved in one direction cuit controller While the signal is moving or the other in accordance with the direction away from its biased position. of movement of the semaphore; means lim- 10 17. In a semaphore operating mechanism, iting the movement of said member; and

in combination: a semaphore; a movable circuit controlling means operated by said member operatively connected with the member at one of its extreme positions. semaphore by a frictional slip connection GERRET REKERS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner oi Patents, Washington, 33., G, 

